


From Beneath the Mountain

by Rickylee



Series: Fantasy au [3]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Arachnophobia, Fantasy AU, GIANT ASS SPIDERS, Panic/Anxiety Attack, a dragon named diana, anti magical creature cult, naked scene, some big ass eagles too, some mild language, springles being badass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-25
Updated: 2014-08-25
Packaged: 2018-02-14 15:30:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2197041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rickylee/pseuds/Rickylee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bertholdt leaves the mountain after years of being the tallest and tormented by his generation for his differences. On his was way he meets Reiner, a strong stout human who Bertl instantly takes a liking too. Down the way the fight big ass spiders and get their asses saved my no other than the dynamic duo Springles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From Beneath the Mountain

**Author's Note:**

> Part of my fantasy au series. I haven't been writing/posting them in order because I am unorganized piece of poo.  
> So technically this is part one, "The Strange Duo" part II and "The Black Inn" part III.
> 
> [Sighs cuz this is so much bigger than originally planned]

The night after his seventeenth birthday a boy - man now - slips out of the mountain unseen. He searches around for any on lookers before carefully climbing up the cliff face. It's a bit of a struggle, but he manages to get to the top. He glances around for possible eyes again; it's not like he'd get in trouble for being out after dark, but he'd rather not confront anyone this late into the night.

Dusting off dirty hands he begins to climb again. It's a steep hill that only gets steeper the higher you climb, by the time the man reaches the top he's sweating bucket loads. There's still at least another climb before he reaches his destination. It's a lot of work, and there's a million different ways to get where he's going, but this way's the fastest.

Finally he makes it to the top. He's careful not to startle the eagles that lay sleeping in their large nests. Some peek at him over dark feathers but pay him no mind, the man isn't there for their eggs, just the clean air and a good view. It's a lot of work and sometimes the eagles chase him away, but the view is worth it - it's always worth it.

He can see so far ahead. Past the great forest, past the swamps all the way to the itty bitty tiny sliver of a dark line so far out on the horizon. Diana had said it was the ocean. And the sky, oh how the stars seem so close you could reach up and grasp one. They almost seem to dance the longer he stares. It's so beautiful up here.

"Bertholdt."

The man jumps, startled. He whirls around only seeing large eagles. One of the females move away revealing a large scaly maroon tail. "Diana." He breathes out, so very glad it wasn't someone who would scold him.

Bertholdt anxiously trudges closer to the old dragon. She's so large, he's kind of upset he didn't see her to begin with. Diana the dragon who came up from the far east settled upon the dwarven mountain Maria. Why she's here, no one knows. Why this mountain and not some richer mountain like Rose or Sina, only she knows. Many centuries ago she struck a deal with previous king, let her stay and she'll guard the mountain.

"Bertholdt child. Why are you up here and not down in the mountain with your family?" The dragon asks her powerful voice soothing and dangerous.

"I-" Bertholdt's not sure how to explain it. Sometimes the mountain seems to crush him and he can't breathe while he's underground. "I needed air."

"There's plenty of air inside." She sighs airily.

"I-I know. But it's not..."

"Free?"

"Yes. Some times... Some times I can go months without having to even _think_ about going outside. I can be content with hammering away, or digging further and further into the rock. But-but there are times like now where I can't breathe down there. Everything is closing in on me and I feel too big and-" Bertholdt drops off not sure how to continue.

"Then leave." Diana stands. She's so impossibly large. She's like any other lizard but with colossal leathery wings. She stretches them out, pops and cracks that make Bertholdt cringe and the eagles screech in irritation are over shadowed by the near roaring yawn. Diana settles back onto the bone and feathered ground.

"I can't leave. Where would I go?" Bertholdt sags.

"Child. Do you know why I left the east?"

"No." _'What has that got to do with anything anyway?'_ he keeps those thoughts to himself, don't sass as sass monster like her, you'll find yourself a few degrees warmer.

"I was bored. My mate had died a few decades before I left. I had no offspring yet, and the east at the time was in poverty. So much poverty and plague and war. So instead of making things worse and roasting everybody who annoyed me, I left." Her red eyes blink down at him.

"I'm sorry." Bertholdt's not exactly sure what else to say.

"Sorry? For what?" she sounds amused.

"Your mate I guess. For having to leave your home." Bertholdt shrugs, kicking away rocks and old bones from the eagles' prey and sitting down.

Diana laughs - or snickers - it's hard to tell with a dragon. "Don't be, I killed him."

"Oh." He looks up at the sky in time to see a shooting star. "What's this got to do with anything?"

"If you're bored with your surroundings, leave."

"On the contrary, I'm not bored. I just don't fit in anymore. I'm too tall, too nervous, I never speak out because I don't have the will too. I hate taking the initiative. My spells are stronger, they last longer. I don't have friends my age because they hate me, they tease me about being the "best", about my mother, my foolish father, my nose, my eyes, my ears, my height... They torment me about everything." Bertholdt picks up what may have been a rib and throws it. He hears it clatter as it lands. There's the sound of ruffled feathers, probably startled a bird. "That can't be the reason why you settled on the poorest mountain."

"Is it really? The stone you have, your first find. This mountain is chalk full of them." Bertholdt brings out his stone from the pouch hanging at his hip and holds it to the meager light the stars provide, _'Then how come I'm the only one who's found one in over three decades?'_ It's shinning like a diamond. "The walls of my cave are filled with them."

"I thought those where diamonds."

"They're diamonds because I wish them to be."

"Is that how it works?" Bertholdt twirls the stone in his hands, it changes colors dozens of times as he does. _'It's what ever you want it to be? Is that why the stone seems to always be changing, because I doesn't know what it is, therefore it doesn't know what it is?'_

"Who knows? But this mountain is the richest in magic. Haven't you noticed how many wizards go by asking for weapons forged within? Why the fairies travel so far just for something like a necklace. The dwarves that dwell here are more magicians than miners or smiths." She swishes her tail sending bones and lose rocks clattering down the mountain side. A cacophony of angry birds fill the air.

Bertholdt _had_ noticed his spells were stronger in the forge than when he was in the human town at the base of the mountain. "I suppose so... You came here because there was more magic... But _why?_ "

There's a great heaving sigh that sends very hot air whooshing by Bertholdt, bright orange sparks follow. If he hadn't spent his whole life near sparks Bertholdt would have jumped away in fright. "There's no pleasing you is there." she gets up and ambles away. Bertholdt suddenly feels bad, has he offended her? "Well? Follow me I'll show you."

Bertholdt scrambles to catch up. She leads him down into her cave, it's pitch black so Bertholdt pauses, cups his hands and concetrates. He whispers a small incantation he learned from an elven book he found in the library years ago and a ball of sun-orange light forms in his palm pulsing with each beat of his heart. The incantation is really unnecessary, he can do it without a single word, but it's fun to whisper elven spells like it's some sort of secret. He continues down the dusty path.

The ground becomes soft and slopes down at a gentle curve, the pebbles turn to sand the further he walks. It only occurs to him as he stands beside a large divit piled with moss, discarded fabrics, grass, leaves and other such things that the dragon had led him to her nest.

Bertholdt's chest swells. This is truly an honor, for something so powerful and ancient to trust you with something such as this... It's truly an honor.

He's starting to sweat now, it's warm in here, there's a faint rhythmic pounding and distant roars of very large fires.

"We're near one of the forges aren't we? That's why it's so warm." Bertholdt thinks out loud, he searches the area with his heavenly light. There's nothing much to see really, like any ol' cave. That is, until his light reflect back. Confused Bertholdt brings his light back to the nest. He gasps in wonder. "Dragon eggs... Amazing. This is the reason you fled the east isn't it? If they would have found your nest-"

"Yes. Magic makes them grow stronger. They have some months to go. My brood will take longer to hatch without another, a hundred years or more, it has been about that." She hides the eggs from his sight with her body, curling around them like a bird. The eggs are a white iridescent - like white opal - and smudged with nest dirt, but they're still so beautiful. They're easily as big as him and twice his width. He can only see three, but he's sure there's more. In the market they would fetch a gods ransom, in a poor country it would feed it's starving people for generations.

"You left to protect your babes." Bertholdt brings his light close to his chest.

"No. I left to better myself. I know I could protect them there, but it would be too much work - too much effort." Diana says.

Bertholdt nods and turns to leave, he should head back it's very late, his aunt will miss him.

"Child. I trust my secret to you yes?" She warns.

"Yes. With my life." Bertholdt slowly makes it out of the cave, only running into the walls twice.

* * *

 Bertholdt sneaks back in well after midnight, his uncle is at the sink washing his face. He tries to duck into his room before the man can notice, but his greeting stops him.

"Late night nephew?"

"Yes. A bit uncle. I wasn't feeling well and thought the fresh air would do me good." Bertholdt confesses. He's never got in trouble for sneaking out for air. His guardians seem to understand his elven need for open skies and he's eternally greatfull for it.

"Has it?" His uncle is drying his face now.

Bertholdt smiles, "Yes, I think so."

"Good good. Get some rest Bertholdt, we're going into town tomorrow." His uncle strolls past him, the man only comes to his elbows. Bertholdt nods, even though no one's in the room anymore.

Berthold lays in bed thinking about his chance encounter with the elusive dragon.

_'To better myself huh...'_

He falls asleep to that thought.

* * *

 The trip to the town wasn't all that cracked up to be. Just buy and sell - fabric, maybe some jewelry him and his aunt slaved over. He's always sad to see them go though.

"Come on little brother, Annie is the perfect match. Sure she's a bit small, but she's one of the best warriors we've got." Bertholdt shouldn't eaves drop but this was one of the mayor's sons... well... it _sounds_ like him. The mayor has like a million kids. Okay maybe not that much, but he fools around _a lot,_ with anything wearing a skirt. _'Everyone's small, everyone's at least a head shorter than me.'_  

Bertholdt doesn't know who the man is talking too, but he assumes it to be "little brother". _'Wonder what's that like... Having a brother...'_ He can't hear the "little brother"s response, but he can hear the surprised noise the other man makes. "How can you not fancy women!?"

 _'Oooh. One of the mayor's sons fancies men? How interesting...'_ Bertholdt tries to get a little closer.

There's a reply, but Bertholdt can't hear the low whisper. "Come on bro, give it a few months. Maybe she'll grown on you."

"Bertholdt." His uncle beckons, "Come on boy we're done here."

Bertholdt obediently follows his uncle back up the mountain.

* * *

 Bertholdt sits in his special seat at the dinner table pushing at food with his fork. He's got an elbow on the wooden surface and rests his cheek in his palm. _'Leave to better myself...'_ What's he got to better? His fighting skills may be a bit hesitant, but they're top notch. Smithing... where else to better those skills than within a dwarven mountain? His social skills, he snorts, yeah right.

His aunt eyes him wearily after he snorts. She glances down at his untouched food and back up at her nephew's forlorn face. She sighs and elbows her husband in the gut, jerking her head toward the boy a wearing a warning expression.

"GHMMHMM" Bertholdt fixes his posture at his uncle's throat clearing. "Is there something wrong boy?"

"No, not really." His guardians wait patiently, they know it takes a bit of time for their nephew to admit something's wrong. "What-" His brows furrow, the potatoes gain a new gravy lake, "What would you do if I left the mountain?" he near whispers to the plate.

"Leave?" his aunt whispers back.

"You thinking about leaving Bertholdt?" His uncle asks gently. Bertholdt shrugs.

"Diana said she left the east to better herself."

Bertholdt's uncle bangs his fist on the table as he laughs loud and hard. "What you listening to that old hag for? She ain't done nothing but sit on her arse for a hundred years."

Bertholdt shrugs again. "Where would I go anyway? 'S not like I belong anywhere anyway."

The table goes silent. Bertholdt returns to his slouched position trying not to outwardly show how depressed he is. His aunt's calloused hands gently grabs Bertholdt's hand. It looks so comically small against his, or maybe he's just freakishly big.

"Do you know why your uncle and I became your guardians?" She asks. The question catches Bertholdt off guard.

"Because you're my aunt and uncle? You're my only blood relation here."

"Yes. But there's more to it." She pauses petting his hand, "We, that is your uncle and I, could not produce a living child. When your lovely mother passed away your father, he seemed to lose a piece of himself. So he gave us legal guardianship of you, he felt a broken man was unfit to raise a child."

Bertholdt hadn't known this. He chances a glance at his uncle, he's lighting a pipe, nodding sadly. "You've heard me pine over how much of a fool my brother was. Falling in love with a passing elf." He tuts blowing out sweet smelling smoke. "You don't know how glad I am to know you inherited your mother's senses, lord know how bad we'd have it, to have a foolish giant among us."

Despite the jab Bertholdt smiles. His uncle always had a new story to tell about his father's foolish escapades, like the time he tried to woo the mayor's daughter, or pulled down the prince's pants as a prank.

"It was his singing voice that really made your mother fall for a fool. Fools the both of them." he's shaking his head. "She comes in from some noble clan out in Cullasseth, marries a dwarf from some lowly dirty mountain, and expects things to be fine between her and them." he puffs more smoke. "Finish your dinner boy, you've got watch duty tonight."

Dinner becomes a happier atmosphere. If Bertholdt didn't know any better, he'd say his guardians gave him a way out. _'Cullasseth... That's so far... What were you doing so far from home mother?'_

He lays in bed again debating, _'Cullasseth... to better myself... Maybe I can find out why they rejected me.'_ Bertholdt falls asleep to these thoughts swirling in his head.

* * *

 It takes him months to come to a decision and by then it's mid June. He'll go. Cullasseth may not be worth it, but it's something and something is better than nothing.

So one night, after the work load and dinner, he tells them his plan. He'll go to Cullasseth, see what's so special there and come back. It's only a month away on horse back, but he's in no hurry to get there and-

Bertholdt's aunt takes him by the cheeks and kisses his forehead. "It's alright dear. Take your time and send letters, ya?"

Bertholdt takes a few days to prepare, he's stalling - he knows. Earlier that day, Berthold had carefully chipped a pebble sized chip off his first find. He later visited Diana and gave her the stone for safe keeping, keeping the pebble to himself. She reminded him her brood will hatch any week now. He's sad he'll miss it and almost convinces himself to stay till they hatch.

Almost.

On the day he leaves, he bathes and puts on clean clothes. His aunt is pacing back and forth reminding him of all the dangers being alone can bring. "Watch out for highwaymen! Oh dear and the slavers!" She's worked herself into a tizzy worrying over him.

"Auntie." Bertholdt grabs her shoulders smiling down at her. "I'll be _fine_ I'm a warrior. I can take care of myself, I'll sleep in the inns when ever I can. I won't have anything on me worth stealing. It'll be okay." Trying to convince her convinces himself.

He leaves soon after lunch. "Not good to travel on an empty stomach." his uncle says escorting him to the stables.

"Here's your horse boy." The stableman hands him the reins of a very pretty horse. He almost protests taking her, "She's too weak to pull anything, was gunna sell her anyway."

Bertholdt takes the reins stroking her soft muzzle. She's a dark grey, like thunder head clouds. Her mane and tail a charcoal black. "Does she have a name?"

"What's an animal need a name for, been calling her horse or girl."

Bertholdt frowns at the back of the retreating dwarf. He's stalling again, not wanting to say goodbye to his uncle. He's helping him sadle the horse, securing bags and what not.

"So long Bertholdt. Be safe, make some friends." the old man pats the horse's back leg. "Take care of my boy now missy." She neighs gently, her head bouncing up and down.

Bertholdt gets an idea. His uncle will hate it - ever since Bertholdt realized how big and strong he was compared to the others he did this every once in a while to spite his guardians: he picks his uncle up, crushing him in a hug against his chest.

"Boy! Put me down!" Bertholdt laughs with his uncle putting him back onto solid ground. Bertholdt turns and leaves, waving and leading his new horse away, the path not suitable for riding just yet.

On the way down Bertholdt decides something. "I think I'll call you Lady." he tells the horse.

Newly named Lady nudges Bertholdt hard neighing loudly. Bertholdt giggles scratching her ears, "Ya, Lady will do."

* * *

 He stops by Trading Town to grab some last minute supplies before continuing down the only road out. He decides to take the long way, being that he really has no rush to go anywhere, besides the scenery is gorgeous and well worth an extra week.

That was until it starting raining. _'Ohmygod you've_ got _to be kidding me.'_ Bertholdt's soaked to the bone and some what cranky. _'Great. I'm going to get pneumonia and_ die _before I even_ leave _the lands. How embarrassing.'_

Luckily he isn't the only one caught in the sudden downpour. There is a... man? on a large black horse just a few meters ahead of him. Taking a chance and swallowing his trepidation, Bertholdt nudges Lady into a gallop to catch up.

"Excuse me..." Bertholdt glances at the person's chest, "sir, do you know if there's cover near by?"

"Huh?" the man looks up and Bertholdt has hold back a gasp. _'Oh no he's hot.'_

"Shelter? I... don't really want to get sick..." Bertholdt tries again.

"Oh! Yeah yeah, just up ahead, there's a village that might have some place we can stay." the man says. Bertholdt can't sense any 'mystic' aura from him, so he guesses the man is human. "Reiner Braun by the way." He holds out a soaked gloved hand. "And you are?"

"Um... Bertholdt Hoover." Bertl takes 'Reiner's' hand. "I'm glad I wrapped my belongings in oil cloth." he mutters to himself, the rain doesn't show any sign of letting up.

"You too?" Reiner laughs. He's got a rain drop stuck on the end of his fairly large nose. Bertholdt has a weird urge to wipe it off. "I did it last minute too."

Bertholdt can't help but smile, this man has such a pleasing atmosphere. "I just hope Lady doesn't get sick. The stableman said she was weak. I hope he meant weak in muscle and not conditions weak."

"Lady? strange name for a horse. Orion here use to be a plough horse before I bought him." Reiner pats the snorting horse.

"I call her Lady because she is one." Bertholdt says haughtily. "She's very polite and has manners most people do not. Not bad for a horse."

Reiner laughs again. "Is that so?"

The village comes into sight and both men trot carefully toward it. There's only one inn and the patron says there's only one room left.

Bertholdt's about to tell the human he can have it, but he punches his shoulder playfully and tells the landlord they can share. "It's alright with you Bertl? I've been sharing a room most my life so no worries."

Bertholdt shrugs. It's no big deal, he just wants to get into dry clothes and makes sure Lady has some place dry to sleep. "I'll take care of stable cost, you take the room cost?"

Reiner nods and Bertholdt goes to take care of their horses.

When Bertholdt makes it back to their room with their stuff, Reiner is slipping on a dry shirt. His clothes are already draped over a chair in front of the fire. Bertholdt quickly dries and changes too.

"You're the first person I've ever met who's almost as tall as me." Bertholdt comments as he arranges his wet clothes by the fire. He goes to his bags to make sure nothing else got wet. A few things do, just some extra trousers and some bread. No big deal.

"Really?" Reiner comments back doing the same.

"Yes. I've lived with the dwarves my whole life. You're the first person that's not a bird that stands even close to my height."

"Are you dwarf? A bit tall for that aren't you? I thought you were human. Cover your ears and you'll blend right in."

"Really? I might try that. I heard there's some 'anti magical creature' cults around." Bertholdt puts his things back. "And yes I'm dwarf. But my mother was an elf."

"Aw. I see." After a pause Reiner adds "What're you leaving the mountain for?"

Bertholdt shrugs. "It gets a bit tiring to be the tallest all the time. My mother was from Cullasseth, so I thought I might make my way there to see what's so special about it." He stands stretching the kinks from crouching, "What about you?"

"Nothing like that." Reiner scratches his cheek. "I... may have pissed off my family and my ex-fiancé's father by breaking off our engagement. I gave it time, and time didn't change the act that I never thought of her romantically."

"So you left?" That story sounds a bit familiar.

"Yep. Best to stay out of sight for a while."

Bertholdt sits on the edge of the bed. There's only one, he plans to sleep on the floor and let Reiner take the bed. Might be safer that way. "So you have no destination?"

"Nope."

Before he can lose his nerve Bertholdt says, "You can join me. I-I mean... if you want" Bertholdt hides himself in his towel, disguising his red face by drying his still wet hair.

"Sure, why not? Safety in numbers and all that."

After an awkward minute Bertholdt get's up and starts to make his bed on the floor. He's got the base blanket down before Reiner asks him what he's doing.

"Making my bed. I'll sleep on the floor." Bertholdt grabs the extra blanket the landlord's son gave them.

"No no take the bed." Reiner goes to grab his arm, but a look from Bertl stops him.

"It's fine, besides it might be safer for me to sleep on the floor." Bertl fluffs his pillow, it still smells like home.

"Safer? You a sleepwalker or something?" Reiner asks concerned.

"Or something." Bertholdt answers.

"Okay." Reiner shrugs and gets into the bed as Bertl crawls into his own blankets.

"G'night."

"Night."

* * *

 Reiner sees why Bertholdt prefers the floor when he wakes up in the morning. He's a bit baffled by how it is possible to sleep comfortably in that position. Bertl's arse is in the air... kinda, his cheek squished into the hardwood floor, a bit of drool puddling next to his slightly open mouth. Reiner stares in awe at the arm pinned beneath his weight and the other arm slung backwards over his head. Bertl's legs are tangled in the blankets.

Reiner is so confused. Like what? How can you not wake up to that?

Bertl begins to adjust and Reiner watches fascinated. It's actually not a slow process, Bertl just flops over like a dead fish. He's on his back now, the arm that was on his head now his pillow. Both knees are bent, but now he's laying on one leg.

Reiner shakes his head and gently nudges Bertl back into a proper sleeping position on the make shift pallet. The other man's body makes some creaks and groans that make Reiner cringe, but he manages gets him there without waking him in the slightest.

"You're one heavy sleeper Bertl." Reiner comments leaving the room to call up breakfast and use the restroom.

* * *

 Bertholdt wakes to the smell of food.

He sits up and stretches. _'Oh good, I didn't wake up weird.'_ While stretching Reiner walks in, Bertholdt can't see because his eyes are closed, but Reiner is staring at him.

"Oh good you're up." Bertholdt flops back down with a weak murmur. "Or not."

"Em up, juss gimme a minute." Bertl says into the pillow. He rubs away the sleep and joins Reiner for breakfast. "Is it still raining?"

"No. Jenny, the landlord's wife, said it had stopped about an hour after we arrived." Reiner stabs some sausage with his fork.

"Of course it did. We can leave whenever, I'm in no real hurry." Bertl digs into the eggs, they're really good.

They leave after breakfast.

* * *

Reiner and Bertholdt had been on the road together for about a week. Conversation and companionship has come easily and fast. Despite Bertholdt being a slightly timid introvert and Reiner being an outwardly extrovert, they got along swimmingly.

Bertholdt had found Reiner to be a strong, quietly passionate person. Reiner carries himself with easy confidence. His large size fairly intimidating, though he's some what a gentle soul amongst the young and old. His attentions do waver, however. One minute he's engrossly absorbed into their conversation the next he's staring out in the woods trying to catch a glimpse of the ever elusive nymph.

Bertholdt doesn't mind, sometimes he finds talking exhausting. Sometimes Bertl would rather just pass the day quietly in comfort. Reiner is an ever bearing presence, you just can't miss him, unlike Bertholdt who despite his size, is easily missed; and sometimes when trying to be sociable, it can be defeating.

"Um." Reiner shifts in his saddle. There's only one road into the creepy dark forest and neither boys want to venture in.

"Maybe we could go around?" Bertl suggests, he turns Lady a bit out, but the left ends in a cliff. "Not that way, what about that side?"

Reiner gallops away coming back a few minutes later shaking his head. "Lake, too big to go around and no boats."

"I really have a bad feeling about this place." Bertl's biting his lip.

"Well... we're warriors right? We can do this!" Reiner takes the lead. It sounds like he's trying to convince himself too. It does somehow make Bertl feel better that he's not the only one nervous about going in.

"We wrote letters to my family back home right?" Bertholdt asks, they did. Bertl wrote about his progress and about Reiner and the scenery and... etc. It happened to be like three pages long.

"Yeah..." Reiner is looking up into the dark canopy, either searching for threats or taking in the creepy scenery it doesn't matter. Bertl is looking off toward his right - away from his friend - doing the same.

Nothing seems too out of the ordinary. The trees are dark in color, the air smells like rotten leaves, and it's quiet. No animals, no bugs, just the disturbing sound of the wind and the creaking of branches. A few bird calls, they sound panicked. A few growls and a strange clicking vibrates through the air.

There's a very person-like scream - female by the sound of it - ahead. It makes Bertholdt's heart leap in terror. "Sh-should we help?"

They can no longer see the entrance when they turn around to look. Though the scream came from ahead, it could have very well come from anywhere or it could be a trick. "If-"

Reiner's reply ends in a pained 'oof' when _something_ flies out from behind Bertl and tackles Reiner to the ground. "RIENER!" Orion is a tall horse and he had fallen hard. The poor horse in it's terror sprints away, Lady rears back knocking her own rider off and following suit.

Bertholdt lands hard enough to daze the hell out of him. That clicking sound is so much louder now, there's a _thump thump thump_ that accompanies the clicks, screeching too. It's no animal Bertholdt has ever heard of.

"BERTHOLDT! Are you all right?" Reiner's helping him up, the blond has some yellowish goo on his tunic.

"What the hell was that!?" Bertl trembles.

"I didn't get a good look at it. It ran off when I stabbed it." Reiner is breathing hard, his eyes are dilated and wide. "Come on, you alright? That was a nasty fall."

"Yeah, nothing broken. What about you?"

Reiner nods, "Fine. Let's go catch up to our horses, ya?"

Bertholdt's really glad the only way to carry his weapon in on his back. It's too big to be sheathed on a horse, Reiner had some mind to grab his broad sword before he went down. He unhooks his axe holding it tight, ready for any terrors.

"This is going to sound awful, but I really hope what ever that was, it's preoccupied with the other guy." Bertholdt comments guiltily.

"Agreed."

The further they walk, the more white stuff appears in the trees. It's cloudy, thick in some places, thin in others. Sometimes there's lumps with in the white. Bertholdt begins to breathe heavily, he quakes slightly.

"Bertl, you okay, you sound like you're about to have a panic attack." Reiner places a firm hand on his quivering elbow.

"R-Reiner these are _spider webs_." Bertholdt can't seem to get enough air.

"So?" Reiner shakes his head.

"I don't like spiders." Bertl answers pathetically. He wants out of here, _'Oh god what if they caught Lady!?'_

Reiner squints at him unbelieving. They continue on as fast as they dare, dodging silky-sticky strands as they go.

The webs now gate their path. Too high to jump over and too wide to go around without having to venture off the path. Staying on the path is the only option, the woods being littered with monsters, at least where they're at now they can see what's up ahead and behind.

Reiner huffs and starts hacking away with his sword. "Reiner careful, they can feel it." Bertl whimpers.

They get through, Bertl feeling shameful about being completely useless.

There's another scream - male this time, closely followed by another female scream - both men jump at the sound. "Sounds like they're putting up a fight..." Reiner jokes.

"Ye-yeah." Bertholdt laughs nervously, there's no real humor in it. His palms are so sweaty it's making gripping his weapon difficult. He's pretty sure you can see the armpit stains in his tunic.

The clicking sounds are suddenly above them.

_THWUMP THUMP THWUMP THUMP THUMP_

"SHIT!" Reiner yells, at least a dozen spiders surround them instantly. Bertholdt pales and trembles, "Nononononononono" he whimpers in mantra. The clicking noise comes from the arachnids' mandibles grinding and smacking against each other. The swishy-thumps from their long spindly legs as they beat on the ground.

Bertholdt doesn't know how it happened but suddenly they're separated he can hear Reiner's grunts and pained squeals as spiders get their legs hacked off and stabbed dead. Bertl's barely able to keep himself in control, he swings his own weapon with hardly any skill, just pure unadulterated terror. ' _SPIDERS! Of all things spiders!'_ he can feel himself crying now.

Sweat and spider goo cover his hands, his axe slips away on a sideways cut missing the spider entirely and he watches in horror his as only weapon clatters to the ground far away from him. Bertl rolls away from the lunging spider and runs for his dropped weapon. He's not fast enough, he feels something hit his ankle and tug, he hits head on the way down. He's barely conscious things are spinning blurrily, he sees trees sliding by as he struggles to sit up.

He's screaming, he can feel the burn deep in his throat as he does. Without warning the spider that grabbed him is above him. Saliva or poison - he doesn't _want to know_ \- drips from its mouth. "Nonononononononononono." Bertl cries.

Reiner's screaming his name now but he can't find it in him to care. All he sees is his worse fear literally staring him in the eyes, rows of black eyes reflect his terrified face.

_THWACK THWACK TWACK FLUWMP SQUEEEEEEEE_

The giant spider slumps over dead. Bertholdt crab walks backwards completely unaware of his surroundings. There's three arrows and a hand axe in the spider. He doesn't care, it's dead and not eating him. All he cares about is getting far far _far_  way.

Bertholdt's back hits a tree with a hard thud. For an instant he thinks it's another spider, when he realizes it's not, he breaks down. He's dimly aware of the battle noises coming to a stop. There's no more squeals or grunts or metal hitting... what ever spiders are made of.

"Bertholdt? Buddy, come on." It's Reiner's voice so full of gross concern. Bertholdt can't breathe, he's panicking again.

"Just pick him up, the exit is this way." It's a voice he's never heard, but it sounds like the male scream from before.

He can feel strong solid arms surround him and suddenly he's in the air, he's flying. He's not, Reiner's just running with him in his arms. _'Safe in Reiner's arms.'_ Bertholdt has stopped sobbing, but now he's isn't there in the head any more. His eyes are fogged over, he's completely lax, dead to the world and all those in it; except maybe the strong man huffing and puffing under his ear.

Blessed sunlight warms Bertholdt's skin.

"Go on, your horses are near the stream. Wash, they won't come out of the forest!" The male yells.

Reiner stops running, he can feel his torso turn one way then the other, "What about you?" His voice booming back. It's so loud, it vibrates in Reiner's chest resonating into Bertholdt's very being.

"It's fine! We were hired to do this, we'll be back by sun down. No worries man!" the man yells back.

True to his word, their horses are at the stream. Skittish and scared but perfectly safe and healthy.

"Come on Bertl, let's get you cleaned up." Reiner says softly, gently placing him on the ground.

Bertholdt nods dumbly, he's still shaking and dead. He follows direction slowly, like he's slow in the head. _'Maybe I hit my head harder than I thought.'_ a mental break down can do that to a guy you know.

"Alright, off with the shirt. Good boy. Alright boots and trousers too." Reiner is so gentle and caring. "Yes, undergarment too. Nono it's okay, they can't get you here. Come on sit right there, there you go." Reiner disappears from Bertl's limited senses, coming back naked, he slowly leads them into the cool stream, it only reaches mid thigh in depth, but it's enough to wash. "Why don't we sit down, ya? Come on wash yourself."

Bertholdt weakly does as he's told, the world is slowly starting to come into focus again. When done, Reiner is beside him again. "Okay, let's get out now, the sun is going to set soon you know." Bertholdt doesn't know, he doesn't know anything.

They get out. Reiner grabs a towel and quickly wraps it around his waste, he grabs another and gives it to Bertholdt. "Can you dry yourself? I'll get clothes for you." Again Bertl weakly nods, his shakes have stopped but now he's sniffling in shame.

Reiner doesn't need to help in into clothes, so he puts his own on and starts a fire. Reiner wraps a blanket around Bertholdt who looks away ashamed and leads him to sit by the fire.

"I-I'm so so sor-ry Reiner." He blubbers.

"It's okay Bertl-" Reiner tries.

"NO, IT'S NOT OKAY! WE COULD'VE DIED AND I- and it would have be-en m-my fault." Bertholdt's emotions have run thin, he doesn't know what to feel anymore.

Compassionate, sweet, gentle, kind, collected Reiner gathers him up in a great hug and rocks him as he cries. "I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry sososo sor-ry-" repeated over and over again.

"Shshhhshhshh" Reiner responds back. "We didn't die, we're fine. It's okay."

Eventually Bertholdt's sobs subside. He's so embarrassed, not the cute kind, not the insulted kind, but the deep down loathing embarrassment that comes from completely shaming yourself. He laughs humorlessly.

"Thank you Reiner. You're a great friend."

Reiner smiles tenderly and shakes both his shoulders playfully, "Anytime."

Reiner moves around camp preparing food and tents. It's pretty chilly out, or maybe it's because that's what the atmosphere surrounding the dark forest emits. Bertholdt sits unmoving, staring at the fire. It's comforting, reminds him of home.

At some point Reiner slips a hot beverage into his numb hands. He idly sips at it, it doesn't taste like anything - he can't taste anything - he's still slightly numb.

* * *

 "Shit that's heavy!"

_THUNK_

Whatever's left in his cup goes spilling out as Bertl jumps in fright.

"Shit, sorry man." Bertl looks up, his lost axe stuck in the log parallel to the one he's sitting on. His gaze moves higher to a short man, he has no hair and in the light of the fire he can see hazel eyes. Or maybe they're brown. He's got a few throwing axes on his belt and a crossbow attached to his back. "Hey you alright?"

Bertholdt nods. There's a woman handing Reiner's sword back. She has dark brown hair that sheens red in the light. Cute, large cow brown eyes and a happy smile. She's wearing trousers and a quiver, the bow in her free hand.

The man is shrugging off his weapons and in the process of shucking his soiled tunic when the woman pushes him, "Ladies first!"

"Oh come on Sasha! You barely even got any guts on you!" Then men yells back. For a small man he has a very loud voice. 'Sasha' stalks off towards the water with a very cute pout and a bag over he shoulder.

The man sighs throwing his hands up in the air. He sits down in defeat, "So... My name is Connie Springer from Ragako."

"Reiner Braun, Trading Town."

"Bertholdt Hoover, Mt. Maria."

"Who's your lady Springer?" Reiner asks accusingly with a wink.

Connie balks, his cheeks reddening, "We're just childhood friends! She's Sasha Braus; Blouse too, it translates weird to some languages. She's from Dauper Village."

"Sounds like my name." Bertl comments, huddling in his blanket.

"Huh?"

"The translation mix ups. Hoover, Fubar, same thing different alphabets." Bertl answers.

"Oh."

Sasha comes back newly dressed in a skirt, blouse and vest. "Your turn."

"Sweet." Connie sprints to the water. Sasha takes his place.

"So... Connie said you guys were on a job?" Reiner says conversationally.

"Yep. See, there's suppose to be a spell on each side of the entrances that are suppose to keep the spiders and other nasty beasties off the path, but either the spell wore off or someone tampered with it," she shrugs, "so now the nasties can get people." Sasha is stuffing her face with food that practically came out of thin air.

"Y-you mean you faced those things willingly?" Bertl begins to tremble again.

"Yep." She swallows her food, "The villages are paying hunters and anyone willing a lot of money to clear the paths and possibly set up a new enchantment."

"How the fuck do spiders even get that big anyway?" Reiner is so done with the day right now, "A forest of giant spiders. What the hell. They're easily larger than _me_." Reiner taps his chest disbelieving.

"That's because they're enchanted spiders." Connie says coming out of the shadows. He plops his soiled clothing with the others.

"Why would some one do that?" Bertholdt asks wide eyed.

Connie shakes his head, "It was an accident. At least that's what the locals say anyway."

"I don't understand." Bertl and Reiner say in unison.

"Okay, so this wizard like forever ago, (no one's quite sure what race he was) had a rather abnormally large spider as a familiar, (why a spider I don't know). One day the wizard accidentally somehow made the spider bigger with a spell that backfired (or something). Well turned out it was irreversible and the female spider had laid eggs some time later. And, well, a few inbreeded generations later… we get big ass spiders." Connie shrugs. He's a very animated story teller.

Bertholdt is horrified. _'What the fuck.'_

Reiner is shaking his head in disappointed disbelief. "So they just covered up the problem by confining them to the forest and off the path with spells." Connie finishes.

"Didn't you say they wore off!?" Betl squeaks.

"Yeah, but a wizard from the Scouting Legion sealed the borders. They were called back before they could re-spell the road though." Connie says this with a frown.

"Why?" Reiner asks.

Connie and Sasha shrug, "Dunno."

Bertholdt sighs. _'Whatever. I'm going to bed.'_ I'm exhausted, we can talk more in the morning if that's alright."

"Right behind you." Reiner gets up and ambles away toward their tent.

"Right see ya in the morning!" Sasha waves.

Bertholdt's asleep before his head hits the pillow.

* * *

 Morning came late to Bertholdt. When he awoke Reiner was gone, his side of the tent already packed. After a few minutes waking up does the same.

The air outside the tent smells glorious. Sasha sat by the fire, a pot delicately balanced above it, stirring away at breakfast. "Smells good." He comments politely.

She nods sneaking a spoonful. "Reiner and Connie went out to see what could be done for fruit."

He nods. He observes their camp, it's an organized mess really. Dirty clothes and sticky sharp objects litter the ground. "I'll wash our clothes and weapons."

Sasha hums, "I'll help in a bit. Careful with-"

"I know my way around weapons. I've been around them my whole life." Bertholdt interupts.

Sasha doesn't say anything but takes the food off the fire and goes to help him carry everything to the water.

Sasha hums while they work. She has a beautiful voice even if it can be a bit shrilly when she's excited. "So... What's... um..." Bertholdt doesn't really know what to say, "What's with you and Connie?"

"Hm? Nothing. We're practically siblings, or a married couple without the sex." Sasha laughs. Bertl laughs too.

"Um... Where're you headed? If-if you don't mind me asking?"

"Mmmm, well... since we fininshed getting the spiders off the roadway and resetted the spells, back to the village that hired us for our pay I suppose. If you're going to the same village, you might want to wear a hat. The cult against magical creatures is there. The villagers disapprove of them, but since they're technically considered a religion, they stay." Sasha inspects a chipped arrow closely. The arrow head is black, most likely obsidian.

"Thanks for the intell." Bertholdt switches to another shirt, tossing the now clean one in the basket they brought. "Obsidian arrows may be sharper and easier to shape, but they can be brittle and chip."

"I know, I have steel ones too, but Connie made these ones for my birthday last year." Sasha starts cleaning another arrow.

They fall into silence then.

Reiner and Connie come tromping out of the forest soon after. Reiner carries a rabbit and Connie a bucket of berries. Bertl is intently scrubbing a stain out of his own trousers, Sasha is working on Connie's shirt if the size is any indication.

"Aw looky here, we got our wives dutefully washing the laundry." Reiner jokes, fists on his hips, chest out like any proud male.

Bertholdt sends a dirty glare his way and one of Connie's tomahawks along with it. It lands where his foot would have been if he had not jumped away. Connie is having a hard time holding in his laugh.

The rest of the morning is filled with easy laughter as they wait for their clothes to dry.

Bertholdt finds the two endlessly amusing. They bicker and cuddle like siblings, but there's something there that's specifically _not_ sibling exlusive. _Sexual tension_ , Reiner had whispered in his ear. Reiner and him make bets to see how long it takes for them to be sharing more than a tent... a bedroll perhaps?

They part ways. Springles, north east toward the village; them, north west toward Cullasseth. It's been decided that as soon as Sasha and Connie collect their pay, they'll rejoin them up ahead to Cullasseth. "Nothing better to do and our families don't need us right now." Connie had said.

Bertholdt felt rather nervous about that. Two people is a safe number for him, but four _and_ a cute woman with them? Maybe it's still the spider scare that's making him extra caustious now, but he doesn't voice his worries. Reiner, with his acute empathy, feels it though and keeps close.

So with the sun high in the sky and not a cloud venturing by, Reiner and Bertholdt ride on.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still laughing at myself because I'm imitating the sound effects from the spider scene and I sound really stupid doing it. It helped though 10/10 would recommend.
> 
> I also apologize for any errors, I don't have a beta and spelling can be difficult to me, also I type slower than I think, so if something's sounds odd let me know so I can fix it ^.^
> 
> THANK YOU FOR READING  
> EDIT: went back through and fixed some dumb mistakes


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